For those who regularly credit score flights to the American AAdvantage program, you might be inquisitive about what it takes to earn lifetime American Airways elite standing. Let’s talk about the specifics of American Airways Million Miler standing, together with methods to earn it, what it will get you and methods to test your progress towards this standing.
The way to earn American Airways Million Miler standing
If you wish to earn American Airways Million Miler standing, know that solely base miles earned by flying on American Airways, American Eagle and some other eligible airline collaborating within the AAdvantage program rely, in accordance with the AAdvantage Million Miler program phrases and situations.
In brief, you will must fly many miles on American Airways and its AAdvantage companions to earn Million Miler standing. When you can earn Loyalty Factors towards American Airways standing via many strategies — together with spending on cobranded American Airways bank cards, utilizing the AAdvantage eShopping portal and SimplyMiles presents — solely the flights rely towards Million Miler standing.
When trying via my current flight exercise, I discovered it wasn’t so simple as the bottom miles earned on flights counting towards Million Miler standing. For instance, on this American-operated and -marketed flight — for which AAdvantage calculated earnings primarily based on the fare — my base miles had been considerably decrease than my Million Miler earnings. The flight distance was 4,965 miles, virtually precisely what AAdvantage calculated as my Million Miler earnings.
In the meantime, on this Japan Airways-operated and -marketed flight — for which AAdvantage calculated my earnings primarily based on distance — my base miles equaled my Million Miler earnings. Japan Airways fares within the H class credit score to AAdvantage at 70% of the flight distance (4,757 miles). That is how my base miles and Million Miler miles ended up at 3,339.
Though the AAdvantage Million Miler program phrases and situations state base miles are what issues when calculating Million Miler earnings, in observe, it is your flight distance that really issues. And for flights that put up to AAdvantage primarily based on distance, you will seemingly earn towards Million Miler standing primarily based on the proportion at which your fare class credit.
Associated: How American Airways sucked me again into AAdvantage with Loyalty Factors
Advantages of American Airways Million Miler standing
The American Airways Million Miler program has two tiers:
- 1,000,000 Million Miler miles: Lifetime AAdvantage Gold standing and 35,000 AAdvantage bonus miles
- 2,000,000 Million Miler miles: Lifetime AAdvantage Platinum standing and 4 one-way systemwide upgrades
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As you retain flying with American Airways and its accomplice airways previous the two million-mile mark, you will obtain 4 extra one-way systemwide upgrades for every extra million miles you earn. Nevertheless, you will not earn a lifetime standing larger than AAdvantage Platinum.
Associated: So, what precisely is elite standing in journey — and the way can I get it?
The way to test your American Airways Million Miler progress
American AAdvantage makes it simple to test your Million Miler progress. Log in to your account and click on in your identify within the higher right-hand nook. Choose your private account if in case you have each a private and AAdvantage Enterprise account, after which click on “Exercise” on the navigation bar on the left. After doing so, a web page along with your present Loyalty Level steadiness and Million Miler steadiness will present.
You may scroll down and choose a person exercise to see how AAdvantage posted its earnings. You can too test your exercise and Million Miler progress throughout the American Airways app.
Associated: Is it value pursuing lifetime elite standing?
Backside line
American Airways’ Million Miler program is underwhelming in comparison with United Airways Million Miler standing and Delta Air Traces lifetime standing. United and Delta supply lifetime Gold standing — which is not the lowest elite standing in both program — to members who attain this milestone. In the meantime, American provides lifetime standing in its lowest elite tier (Gold) and 35,000 redeemable miles.
However, as a frequent traveler who’s nearing Million Miler standing with AAdvantage, it is a carrot to maintain me engaged with this system. I thought-about switching my Oneworld loyalty to Alaska Airways Mileage Plan to earn towards elite standing on award flights, however as of now, I plan to persist with AAdvantage for not less than another elite-qualifying yr. This manner, I can get to Million Miler standing and earn lifetime AAdvantage Gold standing.
In any case, lifetime AAdvantage Gold standing will give me a free checked bag, precedence check-in and boarding, most well-liked seats at reserving, Most important Cabin Further seats at check-in, and Oneworld Ruby standing if AAdvantage does not change the advantages at its Gold tier. These advantages will likely be helpful even when my journey decreases or my loyalty adjustments.
